Vocational school assessment on the rise for Saugus

Monday

Apr 14, 2014 at 8:00 AM

By Mike Gaffneymgaffney@wickedlocal.com

The town’s assessment to send students to Northeast Metro Regional Vocational High School is set to increase by $138,357 in fiscal 2015 despite a projected enrollment drop of 10 Saugus pupils attending the school, numbers that left some town officials shaking their heads when presented at last week’s Finance Committee meeting.Northeast Metro Superintendent Ted Nickole summarized the $22,364,999 budget the school’s School Committee voted for fiscal 2015, which works out to a $689,999 increase, or hike of 3.18 percent. He identified district-wide insurance, labor negotiations underway for all employees and a new school bus contract as the primary budget drivers in effect.In his report to the Fin Com, Nickole stressed that the school is mindful of the difficult financial times facing the 12 communities that make up the Northeast Metro school district."Every effort was made to mitigate the increase to a reasonable level while maintaining quality vocational programs staffed with highly qualified teachers and support staff," Nickole said.Fin Com Chairman Bob Palleschi thanked Nickole for his openness in sharing information with the town. But he took issue with the state’s complicated formula for determining vocational school assessments that each year considers Saugus a wealthy community, which results in the town being charged considerably more per pupil enrolled at Northeast Metro than most other communities serviced by the vocational school.According to numbers provided by Nickole, Saugus’ assessment will be $2,773,703 for the 190 students enrolled at Northeast Metro, which is $14,598 per student.To compare, Chelsea is looking at a $721,837 assessment next year for 199 students, or $3,627 per pupil. Revere will send the most students to Northeast Metro in fiscal 2015 (224) and be charged $1,529,360, or $6,827 per student."When you look at the raw numbers you’ll say we’re really getting screwed," Palleschi said.A major repercussion of what Palleschi termed the "unfair" vocational assessment formula is that with so much money going to Northeast Metro the town struggles to fund its own School Department.Saugus School Committee member Arthur Grabowski said it was disconcerting to see the town’s vocational school assessment go up to such a large degree despite the fact 10 fewer students will be attending Northeast Metro in fiscal 2015.Fin Com member Ken Depatto said it’s clear to him that the vocational school assessment formula isn’t changing with the times.As a Saugus resident whose family has paid taxes in town for 103 years, Nickole told the Fin Com he has long complained that Saugus is charged so much in vocational school assessments compared to other communities."I’m trying to figure out why they consider us wealthy when we’re not that wealthy," Nickole said.Fin Com member Lou Rossi wondered what incentive Northeast Metro has to reduce costs when a majority of its 12 member communities are going to pass the budget anyways.Nickole responded that he is charged as superintendent to be fiscally responsible to taxpayers while still putting out a quality educational program for students. He added that he meets with town and city leaders to listen to their concerns so the school doesn’t put a huge burden on their communities.If the communities that make up Northeast Metro aren’t happy with the budget, the can get together and not pass it if they see fit, Nickole said.Town Meeting member Al DiNardo said it’s troubling that Saugus is paying at least double, if not more, per student than the rest of the "big four" that send the most kids to Northeast Metro. He pointed out the numbers are trending downward for communities such as Chelsea, Revere and Malden, while going up for Saugus.DiNardo quipped that pretty soon Chelsea’s assessment will be zero.Nickole acknowledged there are certain cost factors that are out of his control, but emphasized that he does the best he can to mitigate the expenses to Northeast Metro’s member communities.